Don’t forget to water your garden

Temperatures have dropped — it’s downright pleasant getting out into the garden these days — so your plants are not as stressed by heat as they were during the “dog days” of summer. But they still need water. Your plants won’t speak as loudly when they ask for water as they did during hotter weather — for instance, they generally don’t visibly droop in the middle of the day — so you’ll have to be more vigilant in making sure they get it.

It’s especially critical for plants you’re nurturing for a late-summer crop to get enough water. Late crops of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash have less time to produce as the days shorten, so make sure they get enough of everything they need to get the job done.

Getting enough water is also important for fall and winter crops that are just getting started. Scrimping on water can prevent cabbage, collards, broccoli, cauliflower and other cool-weather crops from getting firmly established — and affect their production later on. So don’t hold back on the water.

A final note on working in the garden this time of year: Don’t forget your sunscreen. You still need to protect yourself.